Semiconductor light emitting element, semiconductor light emitting device using the element, and method for manufacturing the device

Abstract

The present invention provides a semiconductor light emitting element capable of improving light extraction efficiency and a semiconductor light emitting device using the semiconductor light emitting element without adding any manufacturing step A semiconductor light emitting element 1 includes a compound semiconductor layer 3 stacked on a single crystal substrate, and is formed by separating the single crystal substrate into individual rectangular pieces. An individual piece 2 , which is the separated single crystal substrate, is oriented at a predetermined angle with respect to a cleavage plane of a crystal structure of the single crystal substrate so that long side surfaces 21 and 23 are different from the cleavage planes.

1 . A semiconductor light emitting element having a rectangular shape, comprising a nitride semiconductor layer stacked on a main surface provided on a single crystal substrate, and formed by separating the single crystal substrate, wherein
 a long side surface, which is a side surface in a long side direction, is separated in a direction different from a cleavage plane of the single crystal substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The semiconductor light emitting element of  claim 1 , wherein
 the ratio of a short side to a long side of the semiconductor light emitting element is 1:2 or more.   
     
     
         3 . The semiconductor light emitting element of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the
 single crystal substrate is made of hexagonal semiconductor, 
 the main surface is a (0001) c plane, and 
 the long side surface is oriented at an angle ranging from 5° to 55° with respect to an m plane of the single crystal substrate. 
 
     
     
         4 . The semiconductor light emitting element of  claim 3 , wherein
 the long side surface is oriented at an angle ranging from 5° to 25° with respect to the m plane of the single crystal substrate.   
     
     
         5 . The semiconductor light emitting element of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein
 the single crystal substrate is made of hexagonal semiconductor, 
 the main surface is a (1-100) m plane, and 
 the long side surface is oriented at an angle ranging from 5° to 175° with respect to a c plane of the single crystal substrate. 
 
     
     
         6 . The semiconductor light emitting element of  claim 5 , wherein
 the long side surface is oriented at an angle ranging from 5° to 85° with respect to the c plane of the single crystal substrate.   
     
     
         7 . The semiconductor light emitting element of  claim 5 , wherein
 the long side surface is oriented at an angle ranging from 5° to 60° with respect to the c plane of the single crystal substrate.   
     
     
         8 . The semiconductor light emitting element of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein
 the single crystal substrate is made of hexagonal semiconductor, 
 the main surface is a (11-20) a plane, and 
 the long side surface is oriented at an angle ranging from 5° to 85° with respect to a c plane or an m plane of the single crystal substrate. 
 
     
     
         9 . The semiconductor light emitting element of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein
 the single crystal substrate is the single crystal substrate made of one material selected from nitride compound semiconductor, silicon carbide semiconductor, and zinc oxide compound semiconductor. 
 
     
     
         10 . The semiconductor light emitting element of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein
 the long side surface has fine asperities in a half or more region of the long side surface in a thickness direction. 
 
     
     
         11 . A semiconductor light emitting device using the light emitting element of  claim 1  or  2 . 
     
     
         12 . The semiconductor light emitting device of  claim 11 , wherein
 a compound semiconductor layer including an n-type electrode and a p-type electrode is formed on one side of a substrate and is fixed to a submount with bumps,   the number of p-side bumps is two or more, and   at least one of the p-side bumps is disposed at a side of the long side surface on a same side as an n-side bump, and at least one of the p-side bump is disposed at a side of the long side surface on an opposites side to the n-side bump.   
     
     
         13 . A method of manufacturing a rectangular semiconductor light emitting device, comprising:
 forming an n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer on a hexagonal semiconductor single crystal substrate;   removing the active layer and the p-type semiconductor layer on a partial region of the hexagonal semiconductor single crystal substrate to expose the n-type semiconductor layer or the hexagonal semiconductor single crystal substrate;   forming an n-type electrode and a p-type electrode on the exposed n-type semiconductor layer or the hexagonal semiconductor single crystal substrate and the p-type semiconductor layer, respectively; and   forming a cut groove by laser scribing so that a plane of the hexagonal semiconductor single crystal substrate, which is not a cleavage plane, is a long side surface.   
     
     
         14 . A method of manufacturing a rectangular semiconductor light emitting device, comprising:
 forming an n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer on a hexagonal semiconductor single crystal substrate having n-type conductivity;   forming an n-type electrode and a p-type electrode on a back surface of the hexagonal semiconductor single crystal substrate and in the p-type semiconductor layer, respectively; and   forming a cut groove by laser scribing so that a plane of the hexagonal semiconductor single crystal substrate, which is not a cleavage plane, is a long side surface.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  or  14 , wherein
 in the forming the cut groove, the cut groove has a depth ranging from 5% to 50% of a thickness of the hexagonal semiconductor single crystal substrate.